Angels lose to Texas Rangers, 14-11, on walk-off home run in 10th inning

Larry W. Smith / EPA

Angels reliever Daniel Stange walks off the field after giving up a three-run home run to Texas Rangers outfielder Leonys Martin in the 10th inning of the Angels' 14-11 loss Tuesday.

Angels reliever Daniel Stange walks off the field after giving up a three-run home run to Texas Rangers outfielder Leonys Martin in the 10th inning of the Angels' 14-11 loss Tuesday. (Larry W. Smith / EPA)

Mike DiGiovanna

ARLINGTON, Texas — It was an extremely eventful Tuesday evening for the Angels, who pounded out 16 hits but lost their fifth consecutive game, blowing a four-run, eighth-inning lead in a 14-11, 10-inning loss to the Texas Rangers at the Ballpark in Arlington.

Manager Mike Scioscia was ejected in the second inning and Howie Kendrick became the ninth player in franchise history to amass 1,000 hits with a two-run single in a four-run eighth inning.

Mike Trout had four hits and two walks and has reached base in 10 consecutive plate appearances, two shy of Bobby Grich's club record of 12, set in 1984, and Josh Hamilton drove in four runs.

C.J. Wilson had his worst start (four innings, six runs, 11 hits) of the year, and the bullpen suffered another meltdown, Dane De La Rosa giving up a three-run home run to Geovany Soto in the eighth inning and struggling closer Ernesto Frieri blowing a save in the ninth for the second consecutive game.

Texas then won it in the 10th inning on Leonys Martin's three-run walk-off home run against Daniel Stange, who walked the first two batters of the inning.

Alberto Callaspo was there for the start, but by the time the 4-hour 46-minute marathon ended, the third baseman was gone, traded to the American League West-leading Oakland Athletics for triple-A infielder Grant Green, a deal that will save the Angels $6.275 million in salary through 2014.

“This guy was one of our favorites, we're going to miss him,” Scioscia said of Callaspo, who is in the first year of a two-year, $8.975-million deal. “We wish him luck. He'll be a fine addition for those guys.”

Callaspo, a switch-hitter who is batting .252 with five home runs and 36 runs batted in and is a solid defender, was pulled in the fifth inning and missed by the ninth inning.

After Frieri walked Ian Kinsler on four pitches with two outs and Kinsler stole second, Adrian Beltre hit a hard grounder that went under the glove of Tommy Field, who replaced Callaspo at third base.

Kinsler scored to tie the score, 11-11, and the play was ruled a hit that gave Frieri, who has retired only six of the 20 batters he has faced in his last four games, his fourth blown save.

“It's so frustrating the way things are going lately,” Frieri said. “Everything's been going wrong. Not just for me, for everybody. This is the most frustrating moment of my career.”

Not for Callaspo, who gained 14 games in the standings with Tuesday night's trade. Callaspo, 30, is expected to share a second-base platoon with Eric Sogard in Oakland, though he hasn't played second regularly since 2009 with Kansas City.

“We need some help from the right side swinging,” Oakland General Manager Billy Beane told A's reporters. “It's become noticeable in the last month or so.”

Green, 25, will report to triple-A Salt Lake. The former Anaheim Canyon High and USC star, a first-round pick (13th overall) in 2009, was hitless in 15 at-bats in a recent big league stint.

Green hit .325 with 11 home runs and 50 RBIs in 87 games for triple-A Sacramento this season but has struggled to find a position. He was drafted as a shortstop but played the outfield, third base, first base and second base in the minor leagues.

“He'll get some time at second, third and shortstop, and we'll see where it goes,” said Matt Klentak, Angels assistant general manager. “We believe his bat profiles to being a big league regular, for sure. He's hit at every level he's played at.”

The Angels pulled triple-A infielder Chris Nelson from Salt Lake’s game against Iowa on Tuesday. He is expected to take Callaspo’s place on the Angels roster.